Children's Books
April 07 2010 | Children's Books - Literature | 0 comments
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 38
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 38
photo: Richard Harris
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Eight. Aldobar meets a Ghost.
They stepped out into a resplendent scene. It was a huge plaza, tiled in large onyx and pale grey marble squares. At the far end was a blue stone balustrade beyond which was a shimmering harbor filled with a flotilla of white-sailed ships. Around the edge of the plaza, brightly colored banners and standards flapped in the wind at the top of tall staffs.
The buildings around the plaza were all of different colors but uniform in their decoration which consisted of intricate friezes and mosaics. Twin suns, deep orange, flooded the scene with light so full of color that Ginger put her hand out to see if she could capture any of it.
It was mid afternoon and the plaza was crowded with townspeople strolling in the warmth. To the left of our group there was a break in the buildings and a great bridge, made of what looked like pale mauve glass, descended to the plaza. As it led from the plaza the bridge rose and rose until it disappeared into the mist. It seemed to rise to the sky. Many people were coming down the bridge and entering the plaza but only a few were leaving up the bridge. The people were tall, with long thick hair that rose from their foreheads and fell in a soft curve onto their shoulders. Ginger realized, as she noticed their tails swinging behind them, that they were not wearing clothes but were covered in golden fur. Many were wearing jewels as belts, as cuffs and as necklaces. The jewels were all in deep hues, black, brown, indigo, ruby, and hunter green, but they gave off light and sparkled as the people moved. There were food stalls here and there around the edge of the plaza which served grilled meats on sticks. As people wandered by, Ginger saw that the meat on the sticks was whole grilled rats with a sort of fruit stuck in their teeth. People would nibble on the meat and then take a bite out of the fruit causing a liquid to be squirted into their mouths.
Behind her, she heard Aldobar wail loudly
“ What have you done? You have brought me to my doom!!!”
At this outburst, some of the passersby took notice. Soon a crowd was assembling around our friends. Some in the crowd were grinning and Ginger thought of Little Red Riding Hood “My how big their teeth are!”
“The protection spell is still in effect; we should be OK. Elizabeth, check the Finding Stone and see which way it’s directing” Arabella said quietly.
Then she turned to the gathering crowd and said brightly,
“ Greetings. We are travelers from afar on a vital quest. We wish no one any harm. We just need to be on our way and won’t impose on your generous hospitality.”
A large man in the crowd, his whiskers drooping so low that they hung over the enormous black jeweled collar he was wearing, said,
“Of course you must be on your way, and best of luck on your quest. But it is customary here in Pòpoki for visitors to present a token of appreciation for their safe passage. It’s my daughter’s wedding this week and that magnificent leegodehnfawr you have there”
he said as he pointed towards Aldobar, “would be a stunning main dish on the bridal buffet.”
Before Arabella had a chance to respond, a small women on the edge of the crowd who had been darting this way and that trying to get a good view said
“Why should you get the giant leego? My devotion group is celebrating its 150th member and this magnificent specimen would be the fitting centerpiece to our culmination banquet!”
From the tone of the murmurs rising from the crowd, many were impressed by the number 150. Then a second woman, this one fat and unkempt, her erratically waving tail, moth-eaten but engorged so the fur puffed out menacingly, said “If anybody has the right to this prize it’s me, a hard-working mother with twelve mouths to feed!”
The man responded “If you low-lives learned to control yourselves you wouldn’t have twelve mouths to feed. You’re nothing but a drain on all of us and don’t deserve anything!”
A small man next to him, wearing nothing but a plain green belt, snarled “You aristos are the ones who don’t deserve anything you useless bloodsuckers!” and unfurling his claws he belted the first man across his face. With a roar the latter counterattacked and soon, as others joined in with snarls and shrieks, a noisy melee was well on its way to becoming a riot.
Momentarily ignored, our friends looked at each other and Arrabella said,
“Any luck with the stone?”
“It’s pointing up the bridge” said Elizabeth.
“Then the bridge it is. And quickly!” replied Arabella.
Aldobar didn’t need any prompting and whereas he had been pulling up the rear, regally proceeding on two feet, he was now out in front running on all fours. The group fled up the bridge. At first there were accesses to the bridge from surrounding buildings and people using them, but once they got above the city they had the bridge to themselves.
As they approached the mist Ginger stopped running and said
“I need a rest!”
Everyone stopped and turned to look back. The light had changed from deep gold to light lavender and the city was far below them but they could plainly see that the riot had run rampage and now filled the square and the streets around it. People were falling into the harbor as what appeared to be some sort of troops, dressed in bright red vests and three- cornered hats, pushed in from the edges. To the right they could see a huge building with a crystal cupola. Pouring out from it were hundreds of troops. The troops were running in different directions and it became obvious that unrest was spontaneously springing up all over the city. Soon fires were breaking out and thick indigo smoke was curling into the sky as the confused sounds of voices, sirens and explosions reached the group.
“ When this is over” said Babar, “Either everyone is going to be looking for us or we’ll be completely forgotten. Whichever it is, I don’t think we should stick around to find out.”
“Pòpoki! I thought it was just a myth invented by the grandmothers of ‘Iole to scare the children into behaving!” said Aldobar as he gazed down on the mayhem. His paws clutched the bridge railing tightly and the expression on his face had lost all of its previous hauteur. “There are tales” he continued, “of murderous raids on ‘Iole by the Gattari (the people of Pòpoki). They are supposed to come in the dead of night with great stealth, ripping open people’s houses and making off with the inhabitants, of whom not even a single whisker is ever seen again. Legend has it that they especially want the children. How many times did the Royal Nurse threaten me with ‘The Gattari will get you if…’ when I was a babe? Of course, no one has ever seen them and any rational person assumes that the stories are just stories. Yes, ‘Iolians disappear but, one can’t keep track of everyone, can one?” Aldobar looked around as if searching for support. Then he added, “When that vile creature said ‘here on Pòpoki’ I was in trounced by fear! Pòpoki! It really exists! Did you see them eating those poor little ones?!”
By Richard Harris
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Eight. Aldobar meets a Ghost.
They stepped out into a resplendent scene. It was a huge plaza, tiled in large onyx and pale grey marble squares. At the far end was a blue stone balustrade beyond which was a shimmering harbor filled with a flotilla of white-sailed ships. Around the edge of the plaza, brightly colored banners and standards flapped in the wind at the top of tall staffs.
The buildings around the plaza were all of different colors but uniform in their decoration which consisted of intricate friezes and mosaics. Twin suns, deep orange, flooded the scene with light so full of color that Ginger put her hand out to see if she could capture any of it.
It was mid afternoon and the plaza was crowded with townspeople strolling in the warmth. To the left of our group there was a break in the buildings and a great bridge, made of what looked like pale mauve glass, descended to the plaza. As it led from the plaza the bridge rose and rose until it disappeared into the mist. It seemed to rise to the sky. Many people were coming down the bridge and entering the plaza but only a few were leaving up the bridge. The people were tall, with long thick hair that rose from their foreheads and fell in a soft curve onto their shoulders. Ginger realized, as she noticed their tails swinging behind them, that they were not wearing clothes but were covered in golden fur. Many were wearing jewels as belts, as cuffs and as necklaces. The jewels were all in deep hues, black, brown, indigo, ruby, and hunter green, but they gave off light and sparkled as the people moved. There were food stalls here and there around the edge of the plaza which served grilled meats on sticks. As people wandered by, Ginger saw that the meat on the sticks was whole grilled rats with a sort of fruit stuck in their teeth. People would nibble on the meat and then take a bite out of the fruit causing a liquid to be squirted into their mouths.
Behind her, she heard Aldobar wail loudly
“ What have you done? You have brought me to my doom!!!”
At this outburst, some of the passersby took notice. Soon a crowd was assembling around our friends. Some in the crowd were grinning and Ginger thought of Little Red Riding Hood “My how big their teeth are!”
“The protection spell is still in effect; we should be OK. Elizabeth, check the Finding Stone and see which way it’s directing” Arabella said quietly.
Then she turned to the gathering crowd and said brightly,
“ Greetings. We are travelers from afar on a vital quest. We wish no one any harm. We just need to be on our way and won’t impose on your generous hospitality.”
A large man in the crowd, his whiskers drooping so low that they hung over the enormous black jeweled collar he was wearing, said,
“Of course you must be on your way, and best of luck on your quest. But it is customary here in Pòpoki for visitors to present a token of appreciation for their safe passage. It’s my daughter’s wedding this week and that magnificent leegodehnfawr you have there”
he said as he pointed towards Aldobar, “would be a stunning main dish on the bridal buffet.”
Before Arabella had a chance to respond, a small women on the edge of the crowd who had been darting this way and that trying to get a good view said
“Why should you get the giant leego? My devotion group is celebrating its 150th member and this magnificent specimen would be the fitting centerpiece to our culmination banquet!”
From the tone of the murmurs rising from the crowd, many were impressed by the number 150. Then a second woman, this one fat and unkempt, her erratically waving tail, moth-eaten but engorged so the fur puffed out menacingly, said “If anybody has the right to this prize it’s me, a hard-working mother with twelve mouths to feed!”
The man responded “If you low-lives learned to control yourselves you wouldn’t have twelve mouths to feed. You’re nothing but a drain on all of us and don’t deserve anything!”
A small man next to him, wearing nothing but a plain green belt, snarled “You aristos are the ones who don’t deserve anything you useless bloodsuckers!” and unfurling his claws he belted the first man across his face. With a roar the latter counterattacked and soon, as others joined in with snarls and shrieks, a noisy melee was well on its way to becoming a riot.
Momentarily ignored, our friends looked at each other and Arrabella said,
“Any luck with the stone?”
“It’s pointing up the bridge” said Elizabeth.
“Then the bridge it is. And quickly!” replied Arabella.
Aldobar didn’t need any prompting and whereas he had been pulling up the rear, regally proceeding on two feet, he was now out in front running on all fours. The group fled up the bridge. At first there were accesses to the bridge from surrounding buildings and people using them, but once they got above the city they had the bridge to themselves.
As they approached the mist Ginger stopped running and said
“I need a rest!”
Everyone stopped and turned to look back. The light had changed from deep gold to light lavender and the city was far below them but they could plainly see that the riot had run rampage and now filled the square and the streets around it. People were falling into the harbor as what appeared to be some sort of troops, dressed in bright red vests and three- cornered hats, pushed in from the edges. To the right they could see a huge building with a crystal cupola. Pouring out from it were hundreds of troops. The troops were running in different directions and it became obvious that unrest was spontaneously springing up all over the city. Soon fires were breaking out and thick indigo smoke was curling into the sky as the confused sounds of voices, sirens and explosions reached the group.
“ When this is over” said Babar, “Either everyone is going to be looking for us or we’ll be completely forgotten. Whichever it is, I don’t think we should stick around to find out.”
“Pòpoki! I thought it was just a myth invented by the grandmothers of ‘Iole to scare the children into behaving!” said Aldobar as he gazed down on the mayhem. His paws clutched the bridge railing tightly and the expression on his face had lost all of its previous hauteur. “There are tales” he continued, “of murderous raids on ‘Iole by the Gattari (the people of Pòpoki). They are supposed to come in the dead of night with great stealth, ripping open people’s houses and making off with the inhabitants, of whom not even a single whisker is ever seen again. Legend has it that they especially want the children. How many times did the Royal Nurse threaten me with ‘The Gattari will get you if…’ when I was a babe? Of course, no one has ever seen them and any rational person assumes that the stories are just stories. Yes, ‘Iolians disappear but, one can’t keep track of everyone, can one?” Aldobar looked around as if searching for support. Then he added, “When that vile creature said ‘here on Pòpoki’ I was in trounced by fear! Pòpoki! It really exists! Did you see them eating those poor little ones?!”
By Richard Harris
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
February 08 2010 | Children's Books - Literature | 0 comments
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 37
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 37
photo: Richard Harris
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Seven. Wherein We Learn Nothing.
Hours later, or at least what seemed like hours later, Mrs. Drummond and her companions were still in exactly the same predicament. Nothing had changed. The red and black monster continued to scurry helplessly inside the TRAM. Though she didn’t want to admit it, discouragement was setting in. She had been diverting herself with memories of her adventures with Eustace Fronts so many years ago. The trip to Trieste which turned out to be a secret mission into the Julian Alps to recover the MacGregor Files. Leaping over the chasm above a waterfall using Eustace’s glider improvised from Slovenian blankets had reinforced her appreciation for life. The romantic weekend in Bruges which became a mad chase by bicycle along a canal through the Belgian countryside culminating in a steeplechase involving low stone bridges and slow-moving barges that became a race up a 500 year-old belfry. The plein-air outing to Fatepur Sikri which ended as a lethal game of hide and seek among the ruins as they dodged bullets while looking out for deadly krites. It had all been so much fun. And of course, if it hadn’t been for Eustace, she would never have met Pip and Ginger’s parents and her life…the creature had stopped scurrying! It was staring at her, all its eyes pointing in her direction. All at once she could hear the rest of her team’s thoughts. It was a little disconcerting at first, the onslaught of voices overwhelming her senses after the total isolation she had been in. But it was so wonderful to be in communication again and any movement toward some sort of normality was extremely welcome. She heard Lucky exclaim
“The monster! It’s turning green!”
And then, Pouf! They were all back in the garden. It was nighttime but clear so the garden was illuminated by the glow of the almost full moon and the many stars. The crickets buzzed softly and the whippoorwill sang sadly. The dew formed silently and the balmy breeze felt like freedom.
Everyone was so pleased to be back. Keo slowly preened his feathers methodically, as did Felix. Pe’a spread his wings and fell back on the ground, waving his wings like a child making angels in the snow. The elephants widened their ears out of habit, then let them droop and just took it easy. Mrs. Drummond fixed her hair (which really didn’t need it). There was also a glow emanating from the TRAM. The creature was no longer scurrying around madly, but was looking rather relaxed. Its body was the fresh color of the first leaves of Spring and the areas that had been pulsating in red were now a beautiful Nile green. Its head was an extremely pale aquamarine and its eyes had gone from yellow to pale olive. It had arranged its fifteen legs in a tight circle so that its body was comfortably suspended as if in a hammock and its two beaks were extended towards each other so that Mrs. Drummond would have sworn that it was smiling!
By Richard Harris
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Seven. Wherein We Learn Nothing.
Hours later, or at least what seemed like hours later, Mrs. Drummond and her companions were still in exactly the same predicament. Nothing had changed. The red and black monster continued to scurry helplessly inside the TRAM. Though she didn’t want to admit it, discouragement was setting in. She had been diverting herself with memories of her adventures with Eustace Fronts so many years ago. The trip to Trieste which turned out to be a secret mission into the Julian Alps to recover the MacGregor Files. Leaping over the chasm above a waterfall using Eustace’s glider improvised from Slovenian blankets had reinforced her appreciation for life. The romantic weekend in Bruges which became a mad chase by bicycle along a canal through the Belgian countryside culminating in a steeplechase involving low stone bridges and slow-moving barges that became a race up a 500 year-old belfry. The plein-air outing to Fatepur Sikri which ended as a lethal game of hide and seek among the ruins as they dodged bullets while looking out for deadly krites. It had all been so much fun. And of course, if it hadn’t been for Eustace, she would never have met Pip and Ginger’s parents and her life…the creature had stopped scurrying! It was staring at her, all its eyes pointing in her direction. All at once she could hear the rest of her team’s thoughts. It was a little disconcerting at first, the onslaught of voices overwhelming her senses after the total isolation she had been in. But it was so wonderful to be in communication again and any movement toward some sort of normality was extremely welcome. She heard Lucky exclaim
“The monster! It’s turning green!”
And then, Pouf! They were all back in the garden. It was nighttime but clear so the garden was illuminated by the glow of the almost full moon and the many stars. The crickets buzzed softly and the whippoorwill sang sadly. The dew formed silently and the balmy breeze felt like freedom.
Everyone was so pleased to be back. Keo slowly preened his feathers methodically, as did Felix. Pe’a spread his wings and fell back on the ground, waving his wings like a child making angels in the snow. The elephants widened their ears out of habit, then let them droop and just took it easy. Mrs. Drummond fixed her hair (which really didn’t need it). There was also a glow emanating from the TRAM. The creature was no longer scurrying around madly, but was looking rather relaxed. Its body was the fresh color of the first leaves of Spring and the areas that had been pulsating in red were now a beautiful Nile green. Its head was an extremely pale aquamarine and its eyes had gone from yellow to pale olive. It had arranged its fifteen legs in a tight circle so that its body was comfortably suspended as if in a hammock and its two beaks were extended towards each other so that Mrs. Drummond would have sworn that it was smiling!
By Richard Harris
Copyright
All Rights Reserved
January 29 2010 | Children's Books - Literature | 0 comments
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 36
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 36
photo: Richard Harris
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Six. Cowabunga.
After Thyestes’ dark world, the sun-soaked surfing scene was such a shock and a relief that the group wordlessly agreed to lie down on the bluff and just watch. Prompted by the warmth of the sun, Pip felt his muscles relaxing for the first time since they had left home. He watched as Hubert rested on his haunches, spread his wings, lowered his head to the ground, and voiced a long, slow, guttural sigh that caused little wisps of smoke to curl out of his mouth.
“Aaah! That feels good. I can finally dry out my wings. I was afraid I was going to develop a bad case of mildew. You have no idea how much that itches when it happens!”
Alexander had had the servants pack them some food, and he was now organizing a picnic by distributing zinggratch jerky, a pale blue cheese, and fruit slices to everyone. As they ate, Ganesh presented Pip with the opal that had been in Thyestes’ headband.
“Thyestes wanted you to have this.”
As he pocketed it, Pip noticed that it was warm to the touch.
The turtles, their dark green shells glistening, kept up a languorous to and fro as they paddled out through the pale green water. Then, after positioning themselves to catch the next wave, they hoisted themselves onto their boards, and once their rear legs were well placed, they pivoted upwards in a remarkably mechanical movement, necessitated by the fact that most of their bodies were encased in big, heavy shells. They did have the extra balancing advantage furnished by their tails, which formed a tripod with their legs once they were standing. Nonetheless, Pip was impressed by their skill, and he watched with wonder. Often, there were five surfers riding the same wave at once, deftly interlacing their paths but never colliding. Then as the wave started rolling over on itself, they would shoot the curl in unison, riding in the tube of air being encircled by the curling wave, until they all popped out, one after the other as the tube collapsed behind them. It was a mesmerizing spectacle, the feats of skill performed amid the huge swells of green to turquoise water, the spray sparkling in the sun; and our friends allowed themselves to relax for hours as the afternoon turned into evening.
As the shadows lengthened more turtles began arriving at the beach. They were carrying various containers and cases, which they were dragging on the ground. When they saw Pip & co., they dropped their burdens and came over. As they approached, the lead turtle greeted them,
“Welcome to Honu, strangers. We are always happy to…” he stopped when he got a good look at Pip and exclaimed,
“Wow! Are you from earth?”
“Well yes," answered a surprised Pip, “How did you know?”
“We owe our happiness, our whole way of life to a visit from a very cool Earth dude! Ever since the Visit by the Great One, by The Dyk Dael, we have pursued the one great goal that’s given us meaning and harmony. Before The Dyk Dael appeared, we were restless, reckless, rash reptiles. We had no purpose, why, we would even play shell-cracking games just for the thrill of the dare! We were nothing but a bunch of clueless ho-dads!”
“You said it!!! We were totally uncool!!!” the rest of the turtles cried in unison.
“But The Dyk Dael changed everything. When he first got here, he was pretty bummed out, being so far from home and all, but being The Great Dyk Dael, he wasn’t down for long.”
“No, not The Dyk Dael!!!” chanted the others.
“And what is the one great goal?” asked Isadora.
“Universal peace and harmony through perfect surfing and guitar playing!” chanted the turtles. The lead turtle continued,
“The Dyk Dael showed us the path, gave us the tools, and taught us how to use them to reach the one great goal. He had been on his way back from the beach, driving to a concert in his woodie when suddenly, he wasn’t on the Coast Highway anymore, but here on Honu! Here he was, who knows how far from home, with nothing but his surfboards and his guitars. A real bummer! But, being the Great Dyk Dael, it didn’t take him long to realize that this was a great opportunity that had been offered him and he worked hard to make us all cool. Then one day he was gone, but not before teaching us the Path of the Zen of the Perfect Wave and the Perfect Guitar Lick. Now we follow the One Law…”
“If You Do What You Have To (But Never Hurt Anyone) So That Everyone Can Surf All Day And Play Guitar All Night We’ll Have Peace For Ever!” all the turtles chanted in unison.
“We’re about to set up the evening concert and cookout. Would you like to join us?” asked the leader.
The Alpha Team turned to Ganesh who said,
“Thank you very much. We are honored and grateful for the invitation. The respite will be quite welcome.”
And so, as the sunset filled the sky with mauve, red and orange, Pip lay on the sand in a natural amphitheatre atop the bluffs as turtles roasted fish over glowing coals and baked other fish and root vegetables wrapped in leaves in a pit covered with hot stones, luau-style. The leader, whose name was Tarta, had refused their offers of help, telling them to “take it easy and dig the music.” On a stage made out of large flat stones, three turtles, with supremely satisfied expressions on their faces, were filling the evening with wonderfully acrobatic and inventive, yet soothing music. Soon, the food was being passed around on large yellow leaves and torches were lit as darkness fell. As one group after another went on stage and played, the rest of the turtles gently joked with each other, ate dinner and told stories.
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Six. Cowabunga.
After Thyestes’ dark world, the sun-soaked surfing scene was such a shock and a relief that the group wordlessly agreed to lie down on the bluff and just watch. Prompted by the warmth of the sun, Pip felt his muscles relaxing for the first time since they had left home. He watched as Hubert rested on his haunches, spread his wings, lowered his head to the ground, and voiced a long, slow, guttural sigh that caused little wisps of smoke to curl out of his mouth.
“Aaah! That feels good. I can finally dry out my wings. I was afraid I was going to develop a bad case of mildew. You have no idea how much that itches when it happens!”
Alexander had had the servants pack them some food, and he was now organizing a picnic by distributing zinggratch jerky, a pale blue cheese, and fruit slices to everyone. As they ate, Ganesh presented Pip with the opal that had been in Thyestes’ headband.
“Thyestes wanted you to have this.”
As he pocketed it, Pip noticed that it was warm to the touch.
The turtles, their dark green shells glistening, kept up a languorous to and fro as they paddled out through the pale green water. Then, after positioning themselves to catch the next wave, they hoisted themselves onto their boards, and once their rear legs were well placed, they pivoted upwards in a remarkably mechanical movement, necessitated by the fact that most of their bodies were encased in big, heavy shells. They did have the extra balancing advantage furnished by their tails, which formed a tripod with their legs once they were standing. Nonetheless, Pip was impressed by their skill, and he watched with wonder. Often, there were five surfers riding the same wave at once, deftly interlacing their paths but never colliding. Then as the wave started rolling over on itself, they would shoot the curl in unison, riding in the tube of air being encircled by the curling wave, until they all popped out, one after the other as the tube collapsed behind them. It was a mesmerizing spectacle, the feats of skill performed amid the huge swells of green to turquoise water, the spray sparkling in the sun; and our friends allowed themselves to relax for hours as the afternoon turned into evening.
As the shadows lengthened more turtles began arriving at the beach. They were carrying various containers and cases, which they were dragging on the ground. When they saw Pip & co., they dropped their burdens and came over. As they approached, the lead turtle greeted them,
“Welcome to Honu, strangers. We are always happy to…” he stopped when he got a good look at Pip and exclaimed,
“Wow! Are you from earth?”
“Well yes," answered a surprised Pip, “How did you know?”
“We owe our happiness, our whole way of life to a visit from a very cool Earth dude! Ever since the Visit by the Great One, by The Dyk Dael, we have pursued the one great goal that’s given us meaning and harmony. Before The Dyk Dael appeared, we were restless, reckless, rash reptiles. We had no purpose, why, we would even play shell-cracking games just for the thrill of the dare! We were nothing but a bunch of clueless ho-dads!”
“You said it!!! We were totally uncool!!!” the rest of the turtles cried in unison.
“But The Dyk Dael changed everything. When he first got here, he was pretty bummed out, being so far from home and all, but being The Great Dyk Dael, he wasn’t down for long.”
“No, not The Dyk Dael!!!” chanted the others.
“And what is the one great goal?” asked Isadora.
“Universal peace and harmony through perfect surfing and guitar playing!” chanted the turtles. The lead turtle continued,
“The Dyk Dael showed us the path, gave us the tools, and taught us how to use them to reach the one great goal. He had been on his way back from the beach, driving to a concert in his woodie when suddenly, he wasn’t on the Coast Highway anymore, but here on Honu! Here he was, who knows how far from home, with nothing but his surfboards and his guitars. A real bummer! But, being the Great Dyk Dael, it didn’t take him long to realize that this was a great opportunity that had been offered him and he worked hard to make us all cool. Then one day he was gone, but not before teaching us the Path of the Zen of the Perfect Wave and the Perfect Guitar Lick. Now we follow the One Law…”
“If You Do What You Have To (But Never Hurt Anyone) So That Everyone Can Surf All Day And Play Guitar All Night We’ll Have Peace For Ever!” all the turtles chanted in unison.
“We’re about to set up the evening concert and cookout. Would you like to join us?” asked the leader.
The Alpha Team turned to Ganesh who said,
“Thank you very much. We are honored and grateful for the invitation. The respite will be quite welcome.”
And so, as the sunset filled the sky with mauve, red and orange, Pip lay on the sand in a natural amphitheatre atop the bluffs as turtles roasted fish over glowing coals and baked other fish and root vegetables wrapped in leaves in a pit covered with hot stones, luau-style. The leader, whose name was Tarta, had refused their offers of help, telling them to “take it easy and dig the music.” On a stage made out of large flat stones, three turtles, with supremely satisfied expressions on their faces, were filling the evening with wonderfully acrobatic and inventive, yet soothing music. Soon, the food was being passed around on large yellow leaves and torches were lit as darkness fell. As one group after another went on stage and played, the rest of the turtles gently joked with each other, ate dinner and told stories.
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright
January 20 2010 | Children's Books - Literature | 0 comments
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 35
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 35
photo: Richard Harris
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Five. A Rat’s Tale.
“Who’s asking?”
Arabella defiantly countered the rat’s question. She didn’t have time for this nonsense. What kind of world was this; people lived neat suburban lives in cookie-cutter neighborhoods while giant rats with magical powers controlled the industrial areas?
To everyone’s surprise the rat sighed and said,
“When asked to identify myself I am constrained by tradition to answer fully and truthfully. I am Aldobar the XIXth and I am a long way from home.”
He stopped, his whiskers twitched and a baleful expression filled his large beady eyes. Then he continued
“Oh! ‘Iole my home! How I miss you! Will I ever again drink from the succulent sugar canes of the plentiful Plains of the Muridae? Will I ever again behold the terraced towers of Topopolis as they twinkle in the twilight? And what of my beloved Evangeline? Is she still pining for me, or have the tides of time washed her from my memory? Woebegone am I, reduced to waylaying innocent voyagers on this insipid world, this banal backwater on the edge of the universe! The people of this world are so lacking in imagination that no one has ever questioned me before you and I have been able to lighten them of their valuables with impunity. But even if I had in my possession all the riches of ten worlds it would do me no good since I would still be marooned on this mongrel monde! And I have no one to blame except myself!”
Balthazar interrupted him
“Excuse me, but could you loosen the ice sheet? I can’t feel my toes anymore.”
“Of course! My apologies” said Aldobar.
He waved his tail and the ice turned back into the purply-gold smoke which wafted around their bodies until it coalesced into very comfortable (and warm!) ice chairs. Ginger was feeling much better until she realized that however comfortable they were, the chairs were holding them prisoner just like the ankle-level ice sheet had.
Aldobar continued
“As I said, I have no one but myself to blame for my predicament. I could muddy the issue by blaming my ambition and my greed rather than myself, and furthermore, say that it was desire to procure the best for my people that caused that ambition and that greed, but that would be the most vile sophistry. If I have learned anything from my cruel exile, it is that making excuses and lying to oneself will profit no one in any way.
My grandmother, the irreplaceable Queen Adelina, was a pack rat, and I inherited that race’s compulsion to gather and keep interesting and bright objects. As you probably know, though we feel compelled to take ownership of objects when they strike our fancy, but we always leave something in their places as an exchange. We certainly are not thieves! Absolutely not!
And so, when I was administering my kingdom, I was always on the lookout for bright opportunities that would enrich my people. One afternoon, as I relaxed on the throne room terrace, I saw a bright twinkling in the sky. I had a telescope brought to me and discovered that the twinkle was in fact five interplanetary vehicles. They dazzled in the light of space like the most resplendent of precious stones. One was emerald green, another ruby red, the next sapphire blue, the fourth shimmering like an opal, and the last amethyst purple. The sight bewitched me, it was irresistible; inwardly I swooned and my heart flew. I had to have those ships. I knew not whether they were of any value or whether they sheltered friends or a terrible evil, but I did not care.”
Aldobar’s eyes were shining with a nearly deranged intensity as he remembered the spaceships. Ginger worried that they would be trapped, stuck in their seats forever, as Aldobar got carried away by an endless rant of justification and recriminations. Caught up in his personal drama he seemed no longer to even notice that they were there. Ginger nudged Elizabeth who was seated the closest to her and whispered
“Can’t we do something? We’ve got to get out of here!”
Ginger was wrong. Aldobar might be self-involved, but that didn’t mean he was oblivious. He leapt off his throne and bringing his snout within inches of Ginger’s face he snarled
“Silence! I will not countenance any rudeness or disrespect! On ‘Iole you would be roast on a spit and fed to the sewer vultures for interrupting the great Aldobar! Here I am, baring my deepest failings, exposing my wretched soul, and you fidget and whisper. Am I boring you? Is that what my great, tragic life is to you, A BORE?”
Aldobar’s breath was so thick with repulsive smells that Ginger started coughing as she tried to stop from gagging. She thought she might throw up all over him, and then probably no one would be bored. She tried to speak but that only made things worse. Just as she was feeling that there was no denying the rising from her stomach Balthazar spoke,
“Lord Aldobar, no one means you any disrespect, as we are honored to be in your presence.”
At this obeisance, Aldobar turned to the speaker, and Ginger’s vomit went sailing by his retreating back so that just a little landed on his tail. Balthazar continued
“ As you perceived, we are also not of this world. We are on a vitally important mission and Ginger’s impatience is solely due to the fact that we are urgently needed elsewhere and being young and inexperienced her concern about those close to us overshadowed her sense of respect; however much respect was certainly due you.
If I understand correctly, you are marooned on this world and wish to leave. If this is so, then I think that we have much to offer you.”
“How so?” answered the large rat, somewhat mollified by Balthazar’s obsequious tone.
“We have the means to travel between worlds, and if you restore our freedom of movement, you can join us as we travel away from here.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“It is obvious that your great powers have complete dominion over us, so clearly, you have nothing to lose by unbinding us. If we were to try something, you would have us subjugated again in no time.”
Aldobar, not realizing that Balthazar was using a Convincing Tone Spell as he spoke, was convinced. As Elizabeth helped Ginger clean up, the other four elephants silently cast a Protection Spell so that Aldobar could not immobolize them again. Balthazar having made an offer in good faith, they had to honor it, but not trusting him, they had to protect themselves. They then explained to Aldobar their means of travel.
“This means that you cannot send me back to ‘Iole! I knew I should not have trusted you! I will enchain you forever and you will suffer ten thousand pains every day!”
The Protection Spell being in place, this was an empty threat. Balthazar spoke
“I just promised to get you off this world, not to get you to any specific location. If you’d rather stay here, that’s fine. But we stay true to our word and you can travel with us if you so choose.”
And so it was. The elephants chanted the portal open, and led by Ginger, Beta Team walked through, followed by Aldobar the XIXth, the subdued, but strangely contented, King of all ‘Iole.
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Five. A Rat’s Tale.
“Who’s asking?”
Arabella defiantly countered the rat’s question. She didn’t have time for this nonsense. What kind of world was this; people lived neat suburban lives in cookie-cutter neighborhoods while giant rats with magical powers controlled the industrial areas?
To everyone’s surprise the rat sighed and said,
“When asked to identify myself I am constrained by tradition to answer fully and truthfully. I am Aldobar the XIXth and I am a long way from home.”
He stopped, his whiskers twitched and a baleful expression filled his large beady eyes. Then he continued
“Oh! ‘Iole my home! How I miss you! Will I ever again drink from the succulent sugar canes of the plentiful Plains of the Muridae? Will I ever again behold the terraced towers of Topopolis as they twinkle in the twilight? And what of my beloved Evangeline? Is she still pining for me, or have the tides of time washed her from my memory? Woebegone am I, reduced to waylaying innocent voyagers on this insipid world, this banal backwater on the edge of the universe! The people of this world are so lacking in imagination that no one has ever questioned me before you and I have been able to lighten them of their valuables with impunity. But even if I had in my possession all the riches of ten worlds it would do me no good since I would still be marooned on this mongrel monde! And I have no one to blame except myself!”
Balthazar interrupted him
“Excuse me, but could you loosen the ice sheet? I can’t feel my toes anymore.”
“Of course! My apologies” said Aldobar.
He waved his tail and the ice turned back into the purply-gold smoke which wafted around their bodies until it coalesced into very comfortable (and warm!) ice chairs. Ginger was feeling much better until she realized that however comfortable they were, the chairs were holding them prisoner just like the ankle-level ice sheet had.
Aldobar continued
“As I said, I have no one but myself to blame for my predicament. I could muddy the issue by blaming my ambition and my greed rather than myself, and furthermore, say that it was desire to procure the best for my people that caused that ambition and that greed, but that would be the most vile sophistry. If I have learned anything from my cruel exile, it is that making excuses and lying to oneself will profit no one in any way.
My grandmother, the irreplaceable Queen Adelina, was a pack rat, and I inherited that race’s compulsion to gather and keep interesting and bright objects. As you probably know, though we feel compelled to take ownership of objects when they strike our fancy, but we always leave something in their places as an exchange. We certainly are not thieves! Absolutely not!
And so, when I was administering my kingdom, I was always on the lookout for bright opportunities that would enrich my people. One afternoon, as I relaxed on the throne room terrace, I saw a bright twinkling in the sky. I had a telescope brought to me and discovered that the twinkle was in fact five interplanetary vehicles. They dazzled in the light of space like the most resplendent of precious stones. One was emerald green, another ruby red, the next sapphire blue, the fourth shimmering like an opal, and the last amethyst purple. The sight bewitched me, it was irresistible; inwardly I swooned and my heart flew. I had to have those ships. I knew not whether they were of any value or whether they sheltered friends or a terrible evil, but I did not care.”
Aldobar’s eyes were shining with a nearly deranged intensity as he remembered the spaceships. Ginger worried that they would be trapped, stuck in their seats forever, as Aldobar got carried away by an endless rant of justification and recriminations. Caught up in his personal drama he seemed no longer to even notice that they were there. Ginger nudged Elizabeth who was seated the closest to her and whispered
“Can’t we do something? We’ve got to get out of here!”
Ginger was wrong. Aldobar might be self-involved, but that didn’t mean he was oblivious. He leapt off his throne and bringing his snout within inches of Ginger’s face he snarled
“Silence! I will not countenance any rudeness or disrespect! On ‘Iole you would be roast on a spit and fed to the sewer vultures for interrupting the great Aldobar! Here I am, baring my deepest failings, exposing my wretched soul, and you fidget and whisper. Am I boring you? Is that what my great, tragic life is to you, A BORE?”
Aldobar’s breath was so thick with repulsive smells that Ginger started coughing as she tried to stop from gagging. She thought she might throw up all over him, and then probably no one would be bored. She tried to speak but that only made things worse. Just as she was feeling that there was no denying the rising from her stomach Balthazar spoke,
“Lord Aldobar, no one means you any disrespect, as we are honored to be in your presence.”
At this obeisance, Aldobar turned to the speaker, and Ginger’s vomit went sailing by his retreating back so that just a little landed on his tail. Balthazar continued
“ As you perceived, we are also not of this world. We are on a vitally important mission and Ginger’s impatience is solely due to the fact that we are urgently needed elsewhere and being young and inexperienced her concern about those close to us overshadowed her sense of respect; however much respect was certainly due you.
If I understand correctly, you are marooned on this world and wish to leave. If this is so, then I think that we have much to offer you.”
“How so?” answered the large rat, somewhat mollified by Balthazar’s obsequious tone.
“We have the means to travel between worlds, and if you restore our freedom of movement, you can join us as we travel away from here.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“It is obvious that your great powers have complete dominion over us, so clearly, you have nothing to lose by unbinding us. If we were to try something, you would have us subjugated again in no time.”
Aldobar, not realizing that Balthazar was using a Convincing Tone Spell as he spoke, was convinced. As Elizabeth helped Ginger clean up, the other four elephants silently cast a Protection Spell so that Aldobar could not immobolize them again. Balthazar having made an offer in good faith, they had to honor it, but not trusting him, they had to protect themselves. They then explained to Aldobar their means of travel.
“This means that you cannot send me back to ‘Iole! I knew I should not have trusted you! I will enchain you forever and you will suffer ten thousand pains every day!”
The Protection Spell being in place, this was an empty threat. Balthazar spoke
“I just promised to get you off this world, not to get you to any specific location. If you’d rather stay here, that’s fine. But we stay true to our word and you can travel with us if you so choose.”
And so it was. The elephants chanted the portal open, and led by Ginger, Beta Team walked through, followed by Aldobar the XIXth, the subdued, but strangely contented, King of all ‘Iole.
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright
January 18 2010 | Children's Books - Literature | 0 comments
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 34
Thirteen Elephants-Thirteen Elephants and the Darkening Dragons 34
photo: Richard Harris
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Four. Hooray For Entropy.
For some reason they weren’t on another world. Mrs. Drummond could partially see Amadeus, Lucy, Lucky, Dumbo, Pe’a, Keo and Felix, and they seemed to see her. They were all circling the TIC and the red-eyed monster that was crawling around inside it. But beyond the group there was nothing, absolutely nothing, not even emptiness. Were they moving? Or were they frozen in space? In time? They were certainly frozen in place since Mrs. Drummond couldn’t move a muscle, not even her eyeballs, and from what she could see of the others, they were just as paralysed as she was. Would they be like this forever? As she pondered this frightening possibility, she realized that she was taking comfort in the fact that the horrid little monster with the red eyes was still scurrying inside the TIC. Why should that make her feel good? Should not she be pleased by the monster’s incapacity rather than by its apparent immunity to their current problem? As she wondered about this, she found herself remembering her time at Upper Lower Midland University, and more specifically a particular class and a particular person. The particular person was Eustace Fronts, who eventually became the celebrated Group Captain and then Colonel E. Fronts, but back then was just her fellow student. At the time, as far as she was concerned, there was nothing “just” about him. One day, early on in her first year at the school, she had been enjoying an especially fine autumn afternoon, sitting in the sunlit outer courtyard with its plunging view of the Meander River valley, and having a spirited discussion with her new friends about The Handsome Young Hero as a Metaphor for, or Insidious Critique of, the Status Quo in Jane Austen’s Work. Suddenly a snarling, growling, deep blue bull mastiff has stormed into the courtyard. It had stopped, looked around, and then started advancing on Mrs. Drummond’s (or Livia Ogden, as she was known at the time), group slowly but with its muscles rippling with tension as if it were prepared to pounce. Everyone stopped moving, muted by the menace. Everyone except Eustace, who had been lounging nearby. He rose slowly, and Livia noted his well-formed body, open, interestingly handsome face, and elegant bearing. He walked with a graceful determination until he was standing between the group and the dog. He spread his arms widely, his palms slightly upturned, and he spoke to the animal. Livia marveled at the quality of his voice, at once full of command, but also so gentle and endearing, entrancing and alluring. The dog stopped, softened as the tension left its body, and finally lay down. If it had been a cat, it would have purred. Mrs. Drummond remembered how, as the danger passed, she had become acutely aware of the soft scents wafting up from the valley and of the greens and yellows permeating its sides, and of the enticing warmth of the sun’s rays. She had also been acutely aware of Eustace’s presence. He had turned around and smiled in her direction, but had walked away before she had a chance to go to him. The next time she saw him, they were on opposite sides of the quadrangle. They saw each other and started walking in each other’s direction. After a few awkward moments they were engrossed in conversation, quickly feeling completely at ease with each other. Livia was giddy with interest; everything Eustace said fascinated her, and she was sure that he was finding her conversation sparkingly incandescent. He was on his way to one of his favorite courses and he persuaded her to attend it with him, not that it took much persuading. With her senses heightened by her infatuation, the class made an indelible mark on her memory. The course was called Change, Growth, and Decay: A Physicist’s Introduction to Cosmology and the day’s lecture had focussed on the theory that everything in the universe tends towards disorder and chaos. Mrs. Drummond still remembered the professor’s intense expressions, his big floppy mustache waving above his lips as he quoted philosophers from ages past to make his case. At one point he had said,
“Imagine a lake in Winter. The water is frozen into a thick layer of ice. Fallen leaves and branches are trapped, motionless in the ice. No matter how hard the wind blows, nothing moves. If you were there, standing on the ice, nothing would look more permanent. But eventually, the ice will start to melt. A tiny hole will appear. At first it seems that it can’t possibly make much of a difference. But it will grow. Cracks will shoot across the surface of the ice, and that perfectly ordered scene will break up into a chaotic symphony of movements, water swirling and leaves fluttering. Nothing ever stays the same; even the most rigidly organized snowflake crystal becomes dripping water!”
Mrs. Drummond snapped out of her reverie. This was why she was encouraged by the still crawling monster. It was their hole in the ice! Eventually, she was sure, movement would spread through their little universe. But how long would it take?
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright
To read the whole book in order, click on Books (top of the page under the blog name) and choose the book.
Chapter Thirty Four. Hooray For Entropy.
For some reason they weren’t on another world. Mrs. Drummond could partially see Amadeus, Lucy, Lucky, Dumbo, Pe’a, Keo and Felix, and they seemed to see her. They were all circling the TIC and the red-eyed monster that was crawling around inside it. But beyond the group there was nothing, absolutely nothing, not even emptiness. Were they moving? Or were they frozen in space? In time? They were certainly frozen in place since Mrs. Drummond couldn’t move a muscle, not even her eyeballs, and from what she could see of the others, they were just as paralysed as she was. Would they be like this forever? As she pondered this frightening possibility, she realized that she was taking comfort in the fact that the horrid little monster with the red eyes was still scurrying inside the TIC. Why should that make her feel good? Should not she be pleased by the monster’s incapacity rather than by its apparent immunity to their current problem? As she wondered about this, she found herself remembering her time at Upper Lower Midland University, and more specifically a particular class and a particular person. The particular person was Eustace Fronts, who eventually became the celebrated Group Captain and then Colonel E. Fronts, but back then was just her fellow student. At the time, as far as she was concerned, there was nothing “just” about him. One day, early on in her first year at the school, she had been enjoying an especially fine autumn afternoon, sitting in the sunlit outer courtyard with its plunging view of the Meander River valley, and having a spirited discussion with her new friends about The Handsome Young Hero as a Metaphor for, or Insidious Critique of, the Status Quo in Jane Austen’s Work. Suddenly a snarling, growling, deep blue bull mastiff has stormed into the courtyard. It had stopped, looked around, and then started advancing on Mrs. Drummond’s (or Livia Ogden, as she was known at the time), group slowly but with its muscles rippling with tension as if it were prepared to pounce. Everyone stopped moving, muted by the menace. Everyone except Eustace, who had been lounging nearby. He rose slowly, and Livia noted his well-formed body, open, interestingly handsome face, and elegant bearing. He walked with a graceful determination until he was standing between the group and the dog. He spread his arms widely, his palms slightly upturned, and he spoke to the animal. Livia marveled at the quality of his voice, at once full of command, but also so gentle and endearing, entrancing and alluring. The dog stopped, softened as the tension left its body, and finally lay down. If it had been a cat, it would have purred. Mrs. Drummond remembered how, as the danger passed, she had become acutely aware of the soft scents wafting up from the valley and of the greens and yellows permeating its sides, and of the enticing warmth of the sun’s rays. She had also been acutely aware of Eustace’s presence. He had turned around and smiled in her direction, but had walked away before she had a chance to go to him. The next time she saw him, they were on opposite sides of the quadrangle. They saw each other and started walking in each other’s direction. After a few awkward moments they were engrossed in conversation, quickly feeling completely at ease with each other. Livia was giddy with interest; everything Eustace said fascinated her, and she was sure that he was finding her conversation sparkingly incandescent. He was on his way to one of his favorite courses and he persuaded her to attend it with him, not that it took much persuading. With her senses heightened by her infatuation, the class made an indelible mark on her memory. The course was called Change, Growth, and Decay: A Physicist’s Introduction to Cosmology and the day’s lecture had focussed on the theory that everything in the universe tends towards disorder and chaos. Mrs. Drummond still remembered the professor’s intense expressions, his big floppy mustache waving above his lips as he quoted philosophers from ages past to make his case. At one point he had said,
“Imagine a lake in Winter. The water is frozen into a thick layer of ice. Fallen leaves and branches are trapped, motionless in the ice. No matter how hard the wind blows, nothing moves. If you were there, standing on the ice, nothing would look more permanent. But eventually, the ice will start to melt. A tiny hole will appear. At first it seems that it can’t possibly make much of a difference. But it will grow. Cracks will shoot across the surface of the ice, and that perfectly ordered scene will break up into a chaotic symphony of movements, water swirling and leaves fluttering. Nothing ever stays the same; even the most rigidly organized snowflake crystal becomes dripping water!”
Mrs. Drummond snapped out of her reverie. This was why she was encouraged by the still crawling monster. It was their hole in the ice! Eventually, she was sure, movement would spread through their little universe. But how long would it take?
By Richard Harris
All Rights Reserved
Copyright